The National Park Service (NPS) has released the Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP) for Guadalupe Mountains National Park (GMNP) for public comment. This will be the first change in the GMP since 1976! Your comments are needed to ensure that wilderness and wildlife are fully protected.

The NPS has proposed four alternatives. Alternative A would continue present management in GMNP; the Preferred Alternative would focus most on recreation and wilderness; Alternative B would focus most on wilderness and wildlife; and Alternative C would focus most on recreation.

The Sierra Club supports Alternative B, with the following changes:

1) Support Wilderness eligibility and designation for 38,134 acres instead of the proposed 35,487 acres.

2) Reduction in, but not elimination of, horse use (day use only) on trails in GMNP by some percentage (perhaps 20-50%) to reduce environmental impacts on geological, biological, and ecological resources and conflicts with hikers. No removal of public corrals and no horse concession.

3) Support the proposed boundary adjustment and acquisition of additional lands in Patterson Hills, Salt Basin and Flats, Guadalupe Pass area, Delaware Mountains, Guadalupe Escarpment, and other sensitive areas to protect the GMNP view-shed; acquire important geological and ecological areas; and to buffer GMNP from present and future development pressures and allow plant and animals adaptation to climate change.

4) Employment of at least 40 people and rejection of the downgrading of employee numbers to a core of 34.

5) Support an aggressive push by NPS to get state and federal officials to address the deterioration of scenic views due to regional haze air pollution sooner than the mandated 2064 deadline. Air Quality as an "impact topic" should not be dismissed from further consideration in the GMP and should be fully analyzed, assessed, and evaluated for all alternatives including the effects and mitigation of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions.

6) Support the retention and possible expansion of the Pine Springs tent camping area and the movement of the RV camping area so it is separated from the Pine Springs tent camping area.

7) Support the treatment of Conflicts with Land Use Plans, Policies, and Controls; Floodplains; Wetlands; Lightscape Management; Soundscape Management; Special Status Species (Threatened and Endangered Species, Species of Concern, and Designated Critical Habitats); Species Restoration, Exotic Species Control, and Extirpated Species Reintroduction; Water Quality and Quantity; and Wilderness Resources and Values as "impact topics" with full environmental analysis, evaluation, and assessment for all alternatives in the GMP.

8) Support a new consolidated park headquarters and office complex and cultural museum south of U.S. Highway 62/180 close to the maintenance area.

9) Full implementation of the Wilderness Act and protection of wilderness character versus protection of human installations and structures and other human actions in wilderness management.

10) Provision of a shuttle system for trails to reduce driving and parking impacts.

Send your letters by June 16, 2008 to:

Mr. John Lujan, Superintendent, GMNP - DGMP, 400 Pine Springs Canyon Road, Salt Flat, Texas 79847-9400.

For more information contact Brandt Mannchen at 713-664-5962 or brandtshnfbt@juno.com.

July 2008

Last updated:  06/08/2008.   Content © 1999-2008 by the Sierra Club.